Stripping ps-4 flat cars.

BradA posted:

i got a couple Lionel ps-4 flats to convert and re paint.   Suggestions on stripping the decals ?   As they have wood decks, I may leave them factory black.

 

thx

Nobody strips plastic cars they just buy brass ones instead!

The frame is diecast. You can strip the lettering with lacquer thinner and a Q tip and not hurt the base paint at least on the NYC versions with black base paint.

Pete

Rule292 posted:

BradA posted:

i got a couple Lionel ps-4 flats to convert and re paint.   Suggestions on stripping the decals ?   As they have wood decks, I may leave them factory black.

 

thx

Nobody strips plastic cars they just buy brass ones instead!

Rule292 is right you know.. 

Erik C Lindgren posted:

Rule292 posted:

BradA posted:

i got a couple Lionel ps-4 flats to convert and re paint.   Suggestions on stripping the decals ?   As they have wood decks, I may leave them factory black.

 

thx

Nobody strips plastic cars they just buy brass ones instead!

Rule292 is right you know.. 

But Brad has all of the brass in the world!!!!

Some of us don't strip trains the old ways anymore. Use Mr. Clean Eraser. Should take 5 to 7 minutes per side. Lionel's wood decks are natural but have bad unnatural grain patterns if stained. Best to paint flat black then use a sanding stick. Use a marker over the nails then drag colored pencils over some boards as desired.

That really looks good!  I was tempted when I heard these were metal with wood decks, but it is so tiresome to fill in the bolster area for 2-rail . . .

Thanks for the ribbing and help.  Sirt.  Great work!

Robbie, care to spare a few flats....?

here is a Pacific limited up flat car I did this am.    Came from John keils estate and included decals!

Rule292 posted:

Erik C Lindgren posted:

Rule292 posted:

BradA posted:

i got a couple Lionel ps-4 flats to convert and re paint.   Suggestions on stripping the decals ?   As they have wood decks, I may leave them factory black.

 

thx

Nobody strips plastic cars they just buy brass ones instead!

Rule292 is right you know.. 

But Brad has all of the brass in the world!!!!

You know it! That's are pal Brad! The Brassbrad! 

SIRT posted:

Some of us don't strip trains the old ways anymore. Use Mr. Clean Eraser. Should take 5 to 7 minutes per side. Lionel's wood decks are natural but have bad unnatural grain patterns if stained. Best to paint flat black then use a sanding stick. Use a marker over the nails then drag colored pencils over some boards as desired.

 

SIRT --NICE JOB!! 

Nice car Brad! I have picked up a few more PacLtd flats too. 

I did 4 of them last fall.   I did not repaint, but I just changed the wheelsets in the trucks, Athearn or IM work just fine.    Then I just glued (with contact cement), coupler mounting pads and voila.   

As for taking off lettering, a friend in HO recommended a draftsman style battery powered eraser.   I got one for Christmas and I just did two Atlas hoppers to change just numbers.   It works great.    I also took all the lettering off a Lionel PS5 Gon.    I just put a little Walthers Solvaset on it, wait a couple minutes and use the eraser to remove what I don't want.    It takes a little bit of a light hand not to damage the underlying paint, but really not that much.     The hardest part is getting close in to the rivets.

By the way, these erasers cost about 10 or so.    Lots of brands out there.

Erik C Lindgren posted:

Rule292 posted:

BradA posted:

i got a couple Lionel ps-4 flats to convert and re paint.   Suggestions on stripping the decals ?   As they have wood decks, I may leave them factory black.

 

thx

Nobody strips plastic cars they just buy brass ones instead!

Rule292 is right you know.. 

Actually he is not. The cars are not plastic. You can use erasers if you want but with this paint lacquer thinner will leave zero scratches or haze. 

Pete

Here is a j& l with custom decals as champs are not correct.

Does anyone know what J&L used these tank cars for?

Tar I believe locally in PA... I'm sure there is more to it. Despite the fact they are cool I was told a rare thing to see them out west. 

BradA posted:

Here is a j& l with custom decals as champs are not correct.

Nice Brad! 

I completely forgot to send you some I made. They look good 

Rare out west, indeed.  There were 14 of them, and as I understand it they were never allowed in interchange - that is, they never got out of Johnstown Pa.

Most of mine are silver with Champ or Lobaugh decals.  I understand the real ones were black, and so dirty no lettering could be seen.

Thanks Bob for the info. 

Norton posted:

Erik C Lindgren posted:

Rule292 posted:

BradA posted:

i got a couple Lionel ps-4 flats to convert and re paint.   Suggestions on stripping the decals ?   As they have wood decks, I may leave them factory black.

 

thx

Nobody strips plastic cars they just buy brass ones instead!

Rule292 is right you know.. 

Actually he is not. The cars are not plastic. You can use erasers if you want but with this paint lacquer thinner will leave zero scratches or haze. 

Pete

Yeah we're just ribbing Brad since he's one of us brassers, we know the scale series of Lionel are diecast.   The Lionel diecast cars  are some of the most accurate cars out there, though the PS4 flats and PS5 gons are not the most common subjects. 

Just beautiful piggyback cars though and Erik's layout work and photography make them a hot commodity!!!!

A train of the H43 100 ton hoppers behind some modern power would be a beautiful thing. 

Erik,

care to add a tutorial on your conversion methods for trucks and couplers?

Brad, this is how I did it:

Use a .435” wide x .100” x .750" long styrene pad between the underside deck stringers to get the proper height. The pad should be about flush with the cutout in the end sill. (That overly wide cutout gives clearance for the three rail coupler, but we’ll fix that.)  Hold the pad in place, and lay the coupler box top on top to mark the mounting holes.  Drill pilot holes through the pads with a #49 drill (.070” diameter). Do this on the bench to avoid drilling holes through the deck.  Glue the pad in place with a combination of Zap-A-Gap and Goo.  When the glue dries, attach the Kadees with 2 mm diameter x 0.4 pitch x 8 mm long machine screws.  The screws will self tap in the soft styrene.  Next install .188” wide x .080” thick styrene strips to fill the end sill cutout on either side of the coupler.    This method holds surprisingly well, and I have not had a coupler.pad or box pull out in six years

Paint the coupler box, coupler mounting pads and end sill styrene fillers the color of the car.  Citadel’s Scorched Brown paint is a good match for the paint Lionel used on its PRR PS4 flats.  This shows the coupler and one of the styrene end fillers.

As for bolsters, I believe they are over rated (you can't see them anyway) so I simply make a spacer from .320" dimater black nylon tubing, cut to .200" long and counterbored .213" diameter x .050" deep at one end

I prefer Intermountain Bettendorf trucks with either Intermountain or NWSL wheel sets. These are reasonably prototypical for the F30D, have thick cast in springs that look right, are well equalized, and very free rolling.  I hold the trucks in place with NWSL 2.6 mm diameter x 10 mm long cross head nickel plated screws (#11270-5). A small spring under the screw head provides tension and allow for some rocking.  I use part number U-93 from Century Spring. But you can use anything that fits.

BradA posted:

Erik,

care to add a tutorial on your conversion methods for trucks and couplers?

I can sure. Looks like John has some excellent plans too. I mostly used his methodology. 

So beautiful John, love your work! 

Thanks Erik.  And back at you!